A Rod To Face Poker Game Inquiry

A Rod To Face Poker Game Inquiry, Once again, major league officials want to meet with Alex Rodriguez. This time, however, is not doping. In the coming weeks, baseball officials plan to question Rodriguez about the reports of their involvement in illegal poker games.

Officials announced Wednesday it would ask the meeting after Star magazine reported that Rodriguez “played in an illegal gambling, illegal poker where cocaine was used openly, and even arranged their own high-risk game, which ended with thugs threatening players. ”

Under the rules that govern baseball players, Rodriguez will have to answer truthfully the questions of baseball. If we recognize that the games played in underground or if the authorities find evidence that he did, he could face a suspension.

Wednesday’s report came a month after the Major League Baseball opened its own investigation into the links of Rodriguez with the game. The investigation was initiated by a report from Star Magazine in June, said Rodriguez, who had participated in an illegal high-stakes game of poker with the actors Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

“We take this very seriously and have been investigating this case since the initial complaint,” said Pat Courtney, a spokesman for Major League Baseball. “As part of the investigation, the commissioner’s office will meet with Mr. Rodriguez.”

The report from Star Magazine claims Wednesday was much stronger than its initial report. Star magazine, said that Rodriguez had played in at least two secret games. One set was received in a mansion in Beverly Hills, and a fight nearly broke out when one player refused to pay half a million dollars in losses.

In response to the first story linking him with the illegal games, Rodriguez said through a spokesman who did not participate in them.

Rodriguez, who has been on the disabled list since July 14, is recovering from knee surgery, was not with the Yankees on Wednesday. His lawyer, Jay K. Reisinger, did not return an e-mail seeking comment Wednesday.

Rodriguez interview with Major League Baseball will mark at least the third time in the last three years has been subpoenaed to answer questions on matters off the field.

Shortly after it was revealed in February 2009, he tested positive for steroids in 2003, met with baseball officials, saying that he had used steroids from 2001 to 2003 only.

A year later, Rodriguez met with baseball officials, once again, this time to discuss his relationship with a Canadian doctor who was being investigated by federal authorities in Buffalo to provide professional athletes with human growth hormone other banned substances.

At that meeting, Rodriguez said Dr. Anthony Galea, had never given him with human growth hormone. Galea pleaded guilty last month to a felony charge involving the mislabeling of drugs brought to this country for the treatment of athletes. He agreed to cooperate with the authorities, hoping to learn definitely that athletes were the types of drugs.

Baseball officials have not accepted Rodriguez’s statements about his relationship with Galea as fact. Over the past year, officials have been pressing the authorities of Buffalo to provide them with details that have been developed in the course of his investigation of Galea. So far, officials in Buffalo have been willing to help baseball, according to a person familiar with the matter.

It is unclear whether the poker games Rodriguez is accused of involvement in the subject of a criminal investigation, or if baseball is working with an agency of law enforcement to determine any involvement of Rodriguez. A spokesman for Major League Baseball refused to comment when asked if officials were receiving game information from the authorities.